With Lips Painted Red, We Bind Ourselves
by At the End of Dreaming
Summary: Cam and Hunter are consumed in an attack by one of Lothor's monsters, causing them to disappear. When they reappear they are different. They are stronger, faster, and hold a secret that threatens to tear them apart. Slash, Hunter/Cam
1. Our Blood Soaked Path Home

With Lips Painted Red, We Bind Ourselves

**Copyright Disclaimer: I do not own Power Rangers or any other recognizable media. Power Rangers belongs to BVS Entertainment. Any other recognizable media belongs to its respective owners. **

**Any words you don't understand are part of a language I made up for this story. It's pretty easy to guess what their saying most of the time. Any important things will be in English.**

We Stand at the End of Our Blood-Soaked Road Home

"Hunter! Come back here and help me with this!"

Hunter laughed at his brother's call, stepping out of the stock room at Storm Chargers. "You're on your own bro. I gotta watch the store." He called back.

Grinning and ignoring his brother's calls for help, he walked towards the front at the store. He was a bit surprised to find Cam sitting on the couch in the corner, a listless expression on his face as he stared blankly in front of him. Hunter walked towards him, dropping down on the couch beside him. "Hey."

Cam was silent for a moment before he nodded. "Hey." He echoed, his voice distant. Hunter arched an eyebrow and leaned closer to Cam. "Something wrong?" he asked.

The computer technician blinked, seeming to come back to himself and looked over at him. "Fine. Where are the others?"

He shrugged. "Blake's helping out in the store room. I think Shane and Dustin went to the skate park and Tori went to the beach. What are you doing out of Ops? We normally have to drag you." He joked.

Cam smiled slightly before that listless expression returned. "Can't concentrate today." He explained and shrugged it off. After a brief pause he whispered. "I've got a bad feeling."

"A bad feeling?" Hunter asked, intrigued. "Bout what?"

Cam looked back towards the front of the store, biting his lip. "Not sure. But the last time I felt like this my father got turned into a guinea pig. Something bad's going to happen."

Hunter grinned. "Hey, calm down. Nothing's going to happen." He assured. Cam gave him a dark look.

"I'm letting you get off with that merely because you haven't known me long enough to understand." He said, sounding annoyed. Hunter shook his head and opened his mouth to reassure him again when their morphers went off. He stopped and gave the green Ranger an irritated look. "Don't say a thing." He ordered. "Not a word."

Cam smirked in amusement before answering the call.

Seconds later the two of them plus Blake appeared where Lothor's new monster was wreaking havoc. Kelzaks littered the ground in swarms. The Wind Rangers appeared next to them almost immediately. Shane stepped forward and glanced around at the group. "Ready?"

They all nodded. "Ready!"

"Ninja Storm!"

"Thunder Storm!"

"Samurai Storm!"

"**Ranger Form! Hah!"**

Everyone immediately went into action, beating down the Kelzaks as they made their way to the new monster. Shane got there first. He landed a few blows before being roughly pushed to the side. Once Shane was out of the way the monster gathered power before unleashing it in a blast at the rangers. They all fell to the ground groaning.

Grinding his teeth, Cam pushed himself up and ran towards the monster. Pulling out his sword he slashed through parts of the monster before another blast sent him flying back. He heard someone shout his name as the other Rangers started to fight. Someone grasped his elbow, hauling his to his feet. He caught a flash of crimson out of the corner of his eye.

"You okay Cam?" Hunter asked, voice muffled behind his visor. He nodded curtly, frowning beneath his helmet. His bad feeling was getting worse. Something was wrong.

"Watch out!"

They both turned at the shout and watched in horror as a wave of energy approached them. They both knew they wouldn't be able to move in time.

Blake watched in horror as his brother and teammate were consumed in the blast wave. When it disappeared, they were gone. "Hunter!" He screamed, running towards the spot his brother had been. But there was nothing there. No mark, no scorch, nothing to indicate that either missing ranger had ever been there.

He barely noticed the monster crackle and disappear in his panic. The other rangers ran over to him, demorphing as they did so. He turned around and shouted as loud as he could. _"Hunter! Cam!"_

The others were shouting now too. "Hunter! Cam! Where are you?" Tori called.

"Come on dudes. This so isn't funny." Dustin said, looking around.

"Where are you guys?" Shane asked.

Their morphers beeped and Sensei's voice echoed over the com. "Return to Ninja Ops, rangers. We will continue our search for our missing members here."

Blake hesitated, unwilling to leave the spot Hunter had disappeared unless he reappeared. Finally, he nodded and went to Ops.

When he got there, CyberCam was typing quickly away at the controls. "Well?" he asked anxiously.

The copy of Cam shook his head. "I'm not picking up a signal from their morphers. Give me a minute, I'll expand the range." Blake bit his lip worriedly and prayed his brother was alright.

Finally, CyberCam shook his head. "Nothing, they're not in California."

"Damn it!" he shouted, pushing himself away from the large computer. Tori stopped next to him, placing a calming hand on his shoulder. "It's alright Blake. Those two can take care of themselves. They'll be fine." She assured. It didn't really help though.

"Um, guys?" They turned back to CyberCam when he spoke up. He was staring at the computer in dismay. Blake really didn't like that look. The clone turned towards them, looking unsure. "They're not even on the planet." He informed.

Blake slumped down to the ground, placing his head in his hands. "That must mean Lothor's got them." He whispered, his heart sinking.

Shane stepped forward. "Hey, we don't know that for sure. Let's not give up. Right now, those two are probably fighting to get back. So let's do our part and go kick that thing's ass."

Blake nodded and grasped the hand held out to him and let himself be pulled up.

"Well, you're about to get your chance." CyberCam called. "It's back."

---

Blake groaned as he hit the ground. They weren't doing any better against the monster than they had the last time. "It's too strong." Tori intoned, struggling up onto her hands and knees. No one wanted to say it but they really needed Hunter and Cam.

Dustin groaned as they were surrounded by Kelzaks. "So not good." He said in dismay.

"_Hama Ryû-ô-Jin."_

The rangers jumped in shock when waves of dark green energy crashed in around them, cutting the Kelzaks down. Quickly they stood up. "What was that?" Blake asked.

"I have no idea dude." Shane answered. "I just hope whoever made that is on our side." They all found themselves nodding in agreement.

"Well, isn't this nice!"

They turned at the shout and Blake whopped in joy and relief when he saw Hunter and Cam standing behind them. He was so overjoyed that at first he didn't even notice anything different about the two.

But Hunter was his brother. He noticed. Hunter's hair was longer than before, hanging in front of his eyes. Instead of the red jersey and ripped blue jeans he had been wearing the last time Blake saw him he was wearing a crimson dress shirt and black slacks. He was leaning against a black and crimson staff, grinning at them as his eyes gleamed brightly.

Cam stood next to them, eyeing the monster wearily. His skin looked a bit paler than the last time he had seen him and he had also changed clothes. He was wearing pressed dress pants and an emerald green shirt under his black jacket. A sword was sheathed and attached to his back.

Hunter shook his head and continued. "Here we've been, running around in circles for months, fighting for our lives to get home, and you've been sitting around on your asses!"

He turned to cam and told him jokingly. "I feel loved."

Cam shook his head fondly. "All the same, it does look like…"

"We got here just in time." Hunter finished for him, turning back to them. His eyes narrowed. "I think these guys like getting their asses kicked. What about you?" he asked.

Cam grinned slightly and pulled out his sword. "Let's go." He agreed.

The other rangers watched in shock as the two fought through the remaining Kelzaks. They both fought back to back, trusting the other completely. Each seemed to know what the other was going to do before they did it and matched their moves, despite the contrast in styles.

They separated suddenly, moving away from each other and allowing the Kelzaks to surround and separate them.

Cam stopped moving inside the circle of Kelzaks, looking around at them. He shifted slightly, the sharp blade of his sword gleaming in the light. _"Chi-Ryû Jin-En-Bu!"_ he whispered, swinging the sword. Waves of dark green energy flew from the blade in circles and slammed into the Kelzaks surrounding him.

At the same time Hunter was moving through the Kelzaks with practiced ease as he swung the crimson staff. Finally, he leveled it in front of him and grinned. _"Raiden-O: Raiko-Buin-Yaiba."_ He called. Lightning flew up the staff, forming blades at each end. Hunter slammed the staff down onto the ground, causing the lightning to channel through the ground. The energy flew up from the ground, shocking the Kelzaks.

The two moved towards each other again, Hunter slamming the end of his staff against the ground again. The staff shrunk down so Hunter could slip it into his pocket. They turned towards the monster standing in the middle. "Ready?" Hunter asked.

Cam smirked at him. "Aren't I always?" he countered.

"Thunder Storm!"

"Samurai Storm!"

"**Ranger Form! Hah!"**

They watched as the two morphed before Hunter turned towards them and asked. "Well? You just going to stand there?" he asked.

Grinning, Blake ran up and joined his brother and Cam. Together the Rangers took down the monster.

After the Megazord battle, the Rangers demorphed and surrounded their missing teammates. "Bro! You're back!" Blake shouted, engulfing his brother in a hug. "Happy to be back!" Hunter replied, hugging back.

Blake disengaged from the hug and stepped towards Cam, hugging him as well. Surprisingly, cam hugged back. "Thank you for keeping him safe." He told the older man.

Cam pulled back, smiling slightly. "No easy task, I assure you." He said. Blake grinned. "Oh I know."

"Hey!" Hunter protested. Blake and Cam shared a grin and knowing look. Hunter frowned. "Your all against me." He grumbled.

Tori grinned and Dustin threw an arm over both Cam and Hunter's shoulders. "Dudes! Welcome back! Where have you been?" he asked.

Hunter grinned while Cam rolled his eyes and shrugged his shoulders to remove the arm thrown across them. "Now, that's a story!" Hunter answered. "A better question would be 'where haven't we been?'"

"We must have been to over a hundred different places." Cam supplied. Shane waved his hand. "Wow, wow, wow. Over a hundred? In a Day?"

Both men looked at each other. Hunter seemed a little uneasy. "Uh, Cam? I know you said there should be a time difference but that's a little much, don't you think?" he asked.

Cam nodded slowly. "Yeah. Guess I underestimated the time difference. It's a little weird."

"Uh, what are you talking about?" Tori asked. Both Cam and Hunter looked over at them. "I guess, when we were traveling between all those places, the way time flows for us changed." Cam stated. "The truth is, we've been gone for nearly five months."

---

Back at Ops, everyone gathered around the table. Tori, Dustin, and Shane were leaning against each other for support as they stared across the table at their teammates. Blake sat on the right of his brother while Cam sat on Hunter's left. Hunter himself was lying on the floor and showed no signs of moving in the near future. Sensei stood on the table, staring calmly up at his son. "Perhaps, you should tell us where you've been, Cam, Hunter?" Sensei requested.

Hunter snorted from his place on the floor. "Pick a place. We were all over. Hundreds of worlds. I was starting to think we were never getting home."

"Wait, worlds?" Shane asked, staring at them in disbelief.

Cam nodded and explained. "Different dimensions, kind of. They were all different. Some seemed like paradise while others were trapped in the mist of war. There were worlds full of deceit and other that wouldn't allow you to tell a single lie. Some were good. Others…not so much."

Dustin grinned. "Really? Sweet!" He paused briefly. "So like, what, you just disappeared from one world reappeared in the next?"

Hunter nodded. "Pretty much. We always had a general idea of how long we were going to stay on a particular world. Gut instinct you could say. There was a world we stayed on for only two days. Another one we stayed for nearly a month. I liked that world." He paused and clicked his tongue. "Huh."

Cam looked over at him. "What?"

Hunter turned his head to smile warmly at his friend. "A familiar ceiling for once." He informed, moving his gaze back to the ceiling. While the others stared at him in confusion, Cam pressed his hand to his mouth and shook his head. He looked caught between exasperation and amusement. "You," he told the blonde beside him. "Are impossible."

Hunter grinned.

"So where'd you learn all those moves? No way you knew those before you left." Shane asked. Cam smirked at him and joked. "Wouldn't you like to know?"

Everyone laughed. Finally Blake stood up and tapped his brother with his toe. "Come on bro. it's getting late."

Hunter started to whine. "But I've been on the move for months. Can't I just stay here?" he asked. Blake grinned. "Sure you don't want to go home to your own bed?" he asked.

The crimson Ranger jumped to his feet. "What are we just standing around for? Let's go!" he snapped, causing the others to laugh.

Sensei turned to his students and nodded solemnly. "It is late, Rangers. We should continue this conversation in the morning. I am sure Cam and Hunter would like to rest." Both boys nodded at the suggestion.

Hunter turned to Cam and pointed at him, saying, "You! Stay out of trouble!"

Cam looked at the blonde like he was crazy. "Me?" he asked. Hunter nodded seriously. "Yes, you. I know how much trouble you can get into. I'm always the one pulling you out of it."

"The only reason I get into trouble is because you go looking for it." Cam snapped, his eyes betraying his amusement. Hunter grinned at him as the others watched the banter in interest.

Shaking his head, Hunter turned to walk towards his brother who was patiently waiting for him near the stairs. Cam bit his lip, an expression of anxiety passing over his face. "Cam?" Tori asked in concern.

Cam was up and moving before any one even registered the movement. "_Nandi_, Hunter!" he called.

Hunter turned back. Cam ran towards him, wrapping his hands around the blonde's neck and, before everyone, pressed his lips on Hunter's. Everyone gapped at the two as Hunter wrapped his arms around Cam's waist and pulled him closer. The kiss lasted only seconds.

Pulling back, Cam smiled softly at Hunter. "_Hondi il, lalu._" He breathed. Hunter nodded. "_Hondi il._" He echoed, pulling back and away. He turned briefly before looking back. "_Li lal il, _Cam."

Cam nodded. "_Li lal il_."

Grinning, Hunter turned away and continued his trek up the stairs. Blake snapped out of the daze caused by watching his brother kiss their mutual friend and looked at said brother. "What was _that_?" he hissed.

Hunter shrugged. "A simple little language me and Cam picked up. Pretty simple once you learn the rules."

Blake sputtered. "That is **not** what I meant! I meant the kiss!"

Hunter looked over at his brother like he was an idiot. "If you don't know what that was, than I'm not going to bother telling you." He said and continued up the stairs.

Cam smiled as he listened to the two banter. When he could no longer hear them he turned around and stretched, walking towards his room. "Well, good night." He told the three rangers and one ninja master still in the room, staring at him in shock.

"Wha…Cam?" Tori asked. Cam turned to stare at her. "Yes?" he asked innocently.

"You…he…what?" she asked, looking wildly between Cam and the place Hunter had been. Cam smirked smugly. "Yes?" he asked again.

Dustin raked a hand through his hair. "Dude, I am so lost." He said. Shane nodded in agreement. "You're not the only one, bro."

"In the morning?" Cam suggested, still smirking. The three nodded and slowly trailed up the stairs.

Cam watched them go wistfully. "Now that's a sight for sore eyes. It's good to be back." He told his father.

"Cam?" Sensei asked, watching his son. Cam looked at him, eyes serious. "I've been dating Hunter for four months now." He informed. "Hunter is the only reason I stand before you." He smiled calmly, coldly. "Good night dad. We can talk in the morning."

With that said, he turned and walked towards his room. Once there he leaned back against the door and grinned in a world weary way. "He saved my life that day. It's the one day I wish I could forget." He looked up, his eyes gleaming gold in the dim light. "It's the day everything changed."


	2. Our Blood Covered Choices

With Lips Painted Red, We Bind Ourselves

**Copyright Disclaimer: I do not own Power Rangers or any other recognizable media. Power Rangers belongs to BVS Entertainment. Any other recognizable media belongs to its respective owners. **

**Any words you don't understand are part of a language I made up for this story. It's pretty easy to guess what their saying most of the time. Any important things will be in English.**

2. We Tear Heart and Self with Our Blood Covered Choices

Hunter hummed to himself as he moved around his kitchen, refamiliarizing himself with the layout of his house. Five months of thousands of different places had almost made him forget what home looked like.

Once he had a bowl of cereal made he sat down at the table and calmly ate it, soaking up the room with his eyes. He never wanted to forget a single detail again. He grinned when he heard his brother tumble into the room, yawning. Blake so wasn't a morning person.

It was very different from the calm, silent way Cam always moved. It had taken him a long time to get used to not hearing any big noises in the morning. He suspected he'd have to get reused to the noises now.

Thinking about Cam made him drop his eyes to the necklace lying against his plain red shirt. It was an automatic reaction by now, to glance at it whenever Cam wasn't nearby. It was an Emotional Connection Necklace (EmoCon for short). It was an orb of clear, hollow crystal, within which was two golden rings which constantly spun in two opposing directions. Within those rings was a tiny sphere of pure energy which depicted Cam's mood. Cam had one that was connected to him.

Frowning, he dropped his spoon and yanked the necklace off. Lifting it to his face, he stared intently at the sphere in the middle. He wasn't seeing things; with every spin of the rings the sphere changed from its normally calm emerald green to a dark stormy myrtle green.

Blake sat down next to him and looked at the necklace as well. "What's wrong?" he asked.

"Cam's upset." He responded automatically. Blake nodded slowly. "Okay." He drawled. "What ever you say."

Hunter set down the necklace. "Can we go over after breakfast?" he asked.

Blake nodded then studied his brother seriously. "You're really attached to him aren't you?"

Hunter shrugged, gazing at the necklace. "Yeah, I am." He paused, smiling softly. "_Li lal mi._ I love him." He told his brother softly.

Blake paused and looked at his brother. Hunter looked…happy. Genuinely happy. He wasn't going to deny his brother that kind of happiness. "If he makes you happy…" he said uncomfortably. "Then, yeah. We'll go."

---

When they arrived at Ninja Ops, they realized that they were very early because none of the other rangers were there except for Cam. Cam sat at the computer, typing away with his back towards them.

Hunter groaned as he watched him. "Second day back and you're already completely attached to that computer again!" he groused. But he was grinning.

Cam didn't even turn as he answered, "I realized this morning that I have completely forgot nearly everything on this damn thing." He turned to look over at them and nodded in greeting. "Good morning, Hunter, Blake."

Hunter walked up to him. "Well, you certainly seem to be in a good mood. You were upset earlier. What's wrong?"

Cam shrugged. "Didn't sleep well." He answered. Hunter grinned and said, "Yeah, I know what you mean. It's going to take some getting used to. Being back." He looked over at Blake. "And he makes so much _noise_ in the morning."

The green ranger smirked. "Like you're any better. Sit down, make yourself comfortable. The others should be here soon. Then we're going to have to train." He said.

---

A few hours later, all the rangers stood ready for training. Sensei faced them, considering. Finally he said, "Cam, Hunter. Perhaps we should see just how far ahead you have gotten in the time you have been gone."

The two nodded and stepped out of the line, facing each other. Hunter looked Cam over and asked, "Hey Cam. No _Valimper_ tricks, okay?"

Cam seemed to consider it then nodded. "Alright."

The others looked at each other. "What's valimper?"

Hunter shrugged. "Something Cam learned while we were gone. Makes it hard to keep up with him." He explained, mock glaring at Cam. Cam smirked.

Sensei stepped forward, "Ready?" he asked.

The two shifted. Cam settled his weight on his back foot, allowing his arms to rest by his sides. Hunter brought one arm up, his weight spread evenly on both feet. "Begin."

Hunter immediately charged Cam. The older man dodged around the attack, bringing his knee up. Hunter twisted around and away before lashing back out. He felt the tips of his fingers brush against the ends of Cam's hair but the man had already moved. Cam smirked at him.

On the sidelines, the other rangers watched them fight. The difference between they're fighting styles was a lot more obvious when they fought each other. Hunter relied on speed and strength, always ready with a counter attack. Cam, on the other hand, focused on grace and precision, always spinning around Hunter's attacks, considering all of his own attacks.

The way they seemed able to predict the other's moves was still there, prevalent in every move they made. It was obvious they had been fighting together for a long time. If the other rangers hadn't believed they had been gone for five months before, they certainly did now.

Dustin grinned as he watched the two trade blows. After a move where Cam practically threw Hunter over his shoulder he whooped, shouting. "Yeah! Go!"

Tori looked over at him with a grin. "Just who are you cheering for Dustin?" she asked. There was a brief pause before he shrugged, "I'll tell you when I know."

Hunter reeled around one of Cam's attacks and spun, attempting to back hand him. Cam immediately brought his arm up and grabbed his wrist. A silent message passed between them.

They both pulled apart, power dancing at their fingers. The other rangers jumped in shock when Hunter thrust his hands forward, lightning bursting from his palm. Cam responded in kind, green energy arching from his fingertips to meet the attack.

The two attacks meet and exploded outward, nearly knocking the rangers from their feet. When they looked back up both fighters were kneeling on the ground. Hunter pushed himself to his feet, eyes glowing with determination. A sphere of dark crimson energy appeared in front of him before flying at Cam, lightning sparking around the edges.

Although the others couldn't see it, Cam's eyes widened as he watched the attack come towards him. His eyes shined gold in the light of the attack as instincts took over. A small "oh," dropped from his lips before he moved.

To everyone else it looked like Cam disappeared. A second later he reappeared in front of Hunter, his knee jammed into the blonde's stomach. Pulling back, Cam let Hunter sink to the ground, holding his stomach in pain.

"Cam!" Hunter whined breathlessly. "I thought we agreed not to use _Valimper_ tricks."

Cam huffed, placing his hands on his hips as he stared down at his friend. "Oh, so I can't use my powers as a _Valimper_ but you can use your powers as an _E_? That's fair." He defended sarcastically, causing Hunter to grin. After a minute, Hunter relented. "Okay, you've got a point. You win."

Sensei coughed slightly, dragging their attention back to him. "Very impressive performance, the both of you. You have both certainly learned a lot in your time away. I am especially impressed by your grasp of your elements. Both of you keep up the good work. The rest of you, I expect you to be spending a lot of time digging their secrets from them, yes?"

The others nodded rigorously, causing Cam and Hunter to look at each other nervously. "We're doomed." They both said before smirking. "I have been hanging around you too long." Cam said in amusement. "We're starting to think alike."

Hunter blanched in fake horror. "Oh god, I hope not." He joked just seconds before the others surrounded them, all talking at once. "Doomed." Hunter repeated, giving Cam a hopeless look.

---

"Hey, guys, I gotta go." Shane said later. "Skating tournament coming up soon. See ya." Waving, he jogged up the stairs and out of Ninja Ops. Tori and Dustin left a few moments later.

Sensei flipped and landed on Blake's shoulder. "Blake, may I talk to you?" he asked, his eyes locked on the other two people in Ops. Cam sat at his computer while Hunter leaned against the desk, talking to him absently.

Blake nodded. "Yeah, sure. What's this about, Sensei?" he asked, sitting down at the table. Sensei flipped down onto the table. "I wanted to talk to you about Hunter. Have you noticed any changes with him because of his journey?"

The navy ranger thought about it. He had noticed a few things. "Yeah, I have. He's quieter, well he was quiet before but not like he is now. He seems more reflective, I guess. And he has these odd little quirks now." He paused briefly. "Do you ever get the feeling that Cam's comparing everything here to how it was while he was traveling? Cause I think Hunter's doing that."

Sensei nodded. "It is a disconcerting feeling. I asked because…I believe there is something they are not telling us. Something very important." He explained. He looked over at his son sadly. "I think Cam has nightmares. He looked horrible this morning. I do not know what they are about but I can only imagine that something happened to cause them."

Blake bit his lip. "I would normally say that it's probably just a one time thing but sometimes Hunter gets this look in his eyes. He looks…haunted." He stopped and looked over at the two he was talking about. "That's why I'm glad Cam was with him. I don't want to think about what could have happened to him if Cam wasn't there."

Sensei smiled. "I am glad for that." He looked side-long at Blake. "What do you think about their relationship?"

"I'm not sure." He replied. "Cam makes Hunter happy and that's about all I know about their relationship. But when it comes down to it…" He trailed off, glancing at Sensei. "Is that what's important?"

Sensei smiled. "It is. I just wish Cam would talk to me about what happened." Blake nodded. "I know how you feel." He agreed.

Hunter smirked and turned his head slightly to stare at Cam out of the corner of his eye. "You get the feeling they're talking about us? Because I do." He asked, inclining his head slightly towards his brother and Cam's father.

Cam looked up at him, "You get the feeling you gotten paranoid? Because I do." He shot back. Hunter grinned.

There was a moment of silence between them before Hunter whispered. "Sorry." Cam stopped typing, blinked at his computer screen for a minute then frowned. "For what?" he asked.

Hunter turned to face him fully and explained. "Earlier, you said you just didn't sleep well. And I believed you. So I'm sorry." He leveled a dark glare on Cam. "You want to tell me what was really bothering you?"

Cam jerked his eyes away and back towards the screen. "I don't know what you're talking about." He snapped. Hunter merely stared at him. After a minute Cam sighed and answered him in their own unique language, the words a whisper all the same. "_I don't want the others to know about my…condition._"

Hunter nodded. "_Yeah, I know. We talked about before. What's the problem?_"

Cam sighed, shaking his head and answering. "_It's very easy, isn't it? To fall into our old routines here. We did it today. Barely gave it a second thought. Things could become very dangerous if we forget. And you did forget._" Cam accused, staring right back at Hunter.

The blonde flinched, because, yeah, Cam was right. He had forgotten. Which was really bad because Cam did depend on him to make sure everything was alright. Hunter needed to make sure that no one got hurt. Because Cam would never be able to live with himself if something happened.

But he couldn't say that. So he merely sighed and said in english, "Ever think you worry too much?" Cam glared at him, "With good reason." He replied.

Hunter reached forward and grasped Cam's shoulder. "Hey, don't worry about it. I told you I'd take care of it. You shouldn't have to worry about it."

Cam's stare shifted into a glare. "Yeah, well, whose fault is that?" He snapped. Hunter winced at the tone and begged. "Please Cam, let's not have this argument."

"When aren't we having this argument?" Cam asked, his eyes flashing. "I couldn't let you just die!" Hunter snapped back. "And I would do it again. No matter how much you hate me for it."

Cam's glare turned lethal. "You forget your place _E_." he hissed.

Hunter grasped Cam's shoulders tightly and stared him down. Finally, he leaned forward and pressed a gentle kiss to his forehead. "Just let me take care of you. Nothing will happen."

"I hope so." Cam whispered, staring up at Hunter with helpless eyes. "I can't hurt them, Hunter. But it would be so easy. Even you, I could snap like a twig."

Hunter grinned, "Please don't. I think that might hurt." He joked, causing Cam to give a hollow laugh. His eyes worried, Hunter gripped Cam by his shoulders and hauled him to his feet. "We're going for a walk." He told the two now staring at them.

Cam gave him a glance that clearing spoke of his disbelief before he huffed and shrugged of Hunter's hands. "Yeah, sure. We'll be right outside."

Blake and Sensei watched as the two climbed the steps, Hunter saying, "We've been gone for five months and all you want to do is stay cooped up here in this mountain. Cam, I love you, but you've got problems."

Blake shook his head. "That relationship might actually do them some good if they don't kill each other first." He said, grinning in amusement. Sensei nodded and said, "I do find it hard to believe they have lasted this long together."

Laughing, Blake agreed. But both were very aware now that something big wasn't being grinned


	3. Our Blood Drenched Dreams

With Lips Painted Red, We Bind Ourselves

**Copyright Disclaimer: I do not own Power Rangers or any other recognizable media. Power Rangers belongs to BVS Entertainment. Any other recognizable media belongs to its respective owners. **

**Any words you don't understand are part of a language I made up for this story. It's pretty easy to guess what their saying most of the time. Any important things will be in English.**

3. Our Nightmares Stand as Ghosts of Our Blood Drenched Memories

Hunter calmly guided Cam out of NinjaOps and past the portal, where he stopped them. Cam looked up at the sky. "It looks like it's going to rain soon." He observed, staring at the dark sky.

Hunter sighed, wrapping his arms tightly around Cam's shoulders. "I won't let anything happen to you." He whispered in Cam's ear. "I promise. Nothing is ever going to hurt you again."

Cam leaned back against, his head dropping down onto Hunter's shoulder. "You shouldn't make promises you can't keep, Hunter." He replied. "We're rangers again. We have to fight. And we're going to get hurt."

"Hey, no poking holes in my promises." Hunter admonished jokingly, smirking slightly. "And maybe it is impossible. But I'm going to do my best. And hey, whatever gets past me, I'm sure you can handle." He paused and buried his face in the nock of Cam's neck. "Everything will be alright."

Cam shifted suddenly in the embrace, twisting around to look at him. Cam's arms came up and wrapped around his neck, drawing him down for a kiss. Hunter easily accepted the loving kiss, more than happy to momentarily forget the scars of their journey in the simple contact.

Before long though, the morpher on his wrist went off, along with Cam's amulet. Sighing, he pulled back and answered it. "Go for Hunter. What's up?"

CyberCam's voice answered over the link. "One of Lothor's monsters is attacking the plaza." Hunter met Cam's eyes and nodded. "We're on our way."

---

When they got to the plaza, people littered the ground in what looked like sleep, tossing about uneasily. "What is going on?" Tori asked, glancing around at all of the people.

"Ah, Rangers." Zurgane called, stepping into view with a monster at his side. "Meet Nightlare. He can turn your worst memories into your worst nightmares!"

Cam scowled at the monster. "We are **not** happy to meet your acquaintance." He glanced over at Shane. "Shane?"

The red ranger nodded. "Let's do this. I don't want to be here when it starts to rain. Ninja Storm!"

"Thunder Storm!"

"Samurai Storm!"

"**Ranger Form! HAH!**"

The rangers charged the two but before they could get near enough to hit a dark beam of energy swept through the group from the monster. They demorphed, falling to the ground.

---

Everyone groaned as they slowly came to. Hunter grumbled as he sat up. "You know, I'm really getting tired of being blasted by Lothor's monsters and sent someplace I don't know." He snapped.

Cam stood up, looking around at the towering ruins around them. It looked like an entire city had slowly been eroded away. "You're wrong." He breathed.

Hunter frowned, looking up at him. "Huh?"

Cam turned towards him, his expression closed but his eyes panicked. "_Acio Toko_." He whispered, spreading his arms wide. "This is _Acio Toko_."

Hunter gulped and started to laugh nervously. "You're joking." He said. "Right?" Cam shook his head and brought a hand up to point to the large building towering over them.

Hunter glanced at it and groaned, falling back against the ground. "Not good."

Tori looked over at them. "You two know this place?" she asked. Cam nodded. "Unfortunately." He replied. He looked up at the sky. "We should get inside. Before it starts to rain."

Blake frowned at him. "What happens when it rains?" he asked.

Hunter sighed, pushing himself to his feet. He looked his brother dead in the eye when he answered. "There's a reason we call it 'Acid Tokyo'."

The others shivered and followed them into the building. "Acid, as in, like, acid rain?" Dustin asked.

Cam nodded and replied, "Yeah. There's not a lot of water in this world isn't acid anymore. All the lakes and rivers, the oceans and seas. All of it, acid. The only clean water is in the reservoirs kept safe at the bottom of the buildings."

"That's kind of scary." Tori said.

Hunter stopped suddenly, staring at something. "Cam…" he called. The green ranger stepped closer to him. "What's wrong?"

Hunter nodded his head at whatever he was looking at. "Look."

Cam followed his line of sight before abruptly looking away, squeezing his eyes shut and turning around. "Alright, this way." He said, changing their route.

Shane frowned. "Hey, wait. What's wrong?" he asked before looking where they had. "Whoa, Hunter?" he asked.

The others looked as well. Blake ran closer, staring at the scene before him in shock. Hunter sat in a rickety chair against the wall, a silent sentinel over a sleeping Cam. "Hunter?" he asked.

"They can't hear you." The awake Cam called. "Or see you. They're just memories."

The others looked over at them. "Memories?" Tori asked.

Hunter nodded. "Remember what Zurgane said? Our worst memories into our worst nightmare? Well, here we are."

"But why are we all experiencing the same memory?" Tori asked. "Shouldn't we all be seeing our own worst memory?"

Cam shrugged. "Could just be because we were all hit by the same blast. If this memory finishes we will probably be swept into another one. Who knows?"

Hunter looked at him. "Can you get us out of here?" he asked. Cam looked up at him. "Why me?" he asked in return.

Hunter spread his arms wide. "Hey, all I let that witch teach me was how to better control my element. You're the one who went and learned all the ins and outs of magic."

"Wait magic?" Shane asked. "You're joking, right? Magic's real?"

The two looked over at him. "Shane," Cam replied slowly. "You're a Power Ranger who is fighting evil aliens who have destroyed your top secret ninja school and kidnapped your peers _and_ turned your sensei into a guinea pig. Are you seriously questioning if magic is real?"

Shane nodded. "Okay, right. Forgot the first rule."

Dustin looked over at him. "What's the first rule?"

"Dude, never doubt Cam's powers." Shane said like it was obvious. Cam snorted, shaking his head. "Thanks for the vote of confidence." He said dryly.

They turned when a groan echoed from behind them. It looked like the other Cam was waking up. "Cam," the real Hunter urged. "Get us out of here."

On the other side of the room, the memory version of Hunter leapt to his feet, immediately rushing to Cam's side. "Cam? You okay?" he asked. The other rangers walked closer, watching as the other Cam pushed himself up slowly, looking at hunter from the corner of his eyes.

Finally, the memory Cam turned to fully face Hunter. He smiled calmly, coldly, cruelly. "Good morning, _E_." He greeted. Hunter drew back, staring at Cam in surprise and growing horror.

"We're leaving." The real Cam called, causing the others to look back at him. A line of glowing green symbols surrounded him. He brought one hand up, his fingertips glowing with energy.

Just as Cam brought his arm straight down, the memory Hunter finally whispered, "So, you're not going to forgive me, huh?"

"**Break**!"

---

Hunter and Cam were the first to push themselves up when the spell broke. They looked at the enemy, eyes burning with anger. "You won't get away with that!" Cam snarled. "I won't let you use our memories against us!"

The others watched as the two charged the group. "Okay, they're pissed." Dustin observed. Shane nodded. "Let's go."

The others nodded, running forward to help the two.

---

After the battle, the group stood silently, listening to Sensei. "Memories are powerful things." He lectured. "They shape who we are. They affect everything we do. But there comes a point where we must push them aside and no longer let them control us. You all did very well today rangers. Go home and get some rest."

They all bowed and turned to leave. "Cam, Hunter. Please wait a minute." Sensei called.

The two stopped obediently; Hunter motioning for Blake to go on without him. Once they were alone Sensei asked, "Is there anything you would like to tell me?"

The two looked at each other and shrugged, shaking their heads. "Not really, dad." Cam said.

Sensei watched them for a minute. "If you need to tell me anything, I'm always here. That invitation extends to the both of you." He said. They both nodded. "We understand Sensei." Hunter assured.

Sensei sighed. "Then at least, trust your teammates with what happened doing your journey."

Hunter shrugged again. "We're not hiding."

"You're not telling either." Sensei rebutted.

"And they're not asking." Hunter snapped back. Cam sighed and laid a hand on Hunter's shoulder. "That's enough. The both of you." He ordered. He turned and met his father's eyes. "And dad. There are some things you should leave alone."

"Leaving them alone will not help you reconnect with the team." Sensei replied.

Cam's stare turned warning. "Dad, please understand when I say this. Some things…should just be left alone."

Sensei analyzed his son carefully, scanning him up and down. Finally he nodded. "Alright then. If you believe it's for the best."

They both nodded. Sensei sighed. "If that is what you wish." He paused before saying. "Hunter, I believe it best for you to stay the night. It has started to rain rather harshly. It would be unsafe for you to drive home in this."

Hunter nodded. "Okay. I'll just call Blake." He agreed. Cam smiled and said, "I'll go get some extra sheets."

Sensei watched as his son walked down the hallway and Hunter pulled out his cell phone. He waited till the crimson ranger had finished his call before asking. "Hunter, just what is the nature of your relationship with my son?"

Hunter froze, his eyes widening. "Excuse me?" he choked. Sensei smirked as much as a guinea pig could. "I want to know about your relationship with Cam." He repeated.

Hunter gulped, looking the way Cam had gone. Finally he took a deep breath and looked back at Sensei. "I love him." He replied honestly. "More than should be possible."

Sensei smiled as Cam entered the room again. "All ready. Want to go to bed?" Cam asked. Hunter nodded, smiling softly. "Sure." He agreed, his eyes gentle.

Cam blinked at the look. "What? What's with that look?" he asked in confusion. Hunter shook his head. "Don't worry about it Cam. Let's get some sleep."

Cam frowned as Hunter slipped past him and started down the hall. He looked at his father and arched an eyebrow. "Something I should know?" he asked.

Sensei grinned. "Keep that one Cam. He really cares about you." He advised. Cam blinked then looked in the direction Hunter had gone. "Yeah, he does." He agreed, smiling to himself. He looked back at his father. "Good night dad."

His father nodded. "Good night Cam." He echoed. "And Cam?" he called as Cam started to walk away. Cam paused and looked over his shoulder at him. Sensei smirked. "I hope I don't have to worry about you two doing anything you shouldn't, right?"

Cam rolled his eyes, grinning slightly. "I don't know what you're talking about." He answered, turning and walking towards his room.

Once in the dark of the room he spotted Hunter spread out on his bed, his eyes closed. He grinned at the sight, knowing the dark would hide him from Hunter's eyes while his own inhumanly sharp eyes pierced through the shadows. "Hey." He called.

Hunter turned his head towards him, squinting his eyes in his direction. "Hey." He called back. He shifted, scooting towards the edge of the bed and patting the space next to him. "Come on."

Cam smiled, toeing of his shoes and shrugging of his jacket. He climbed easily in next to him, sighing appreciatively. Hunter reached forward, wrapping his arms comfortably around his waist. "I missed this." Hunter whispered.

The green ranger nodded, tucking his head into Hunter's neck. He breathed deep, taking comfort in the warm, rich scent of Hunter's skin. "Me too." He agreed. He shifted uncomfortably. "You know…I don't sleep well. Not if you're gone."

Hunter smiled, tightening his hold. "Nightmares?" he asked.

"Maybe."

Hunter nodded, "Me too." He whispered. He leaned his head down on top of Cam's. "Good night Cam."

Cam's soft sigh whispered across his neck. "Good night Hunter. _Li lal il_."

Hunter grinned at the words. "Love you too Cam."

He waited till Cam's breathing evened out before he even thought about sleep himself. He glanced down at the green ranger's sleeping face. It was relaxed, peaceful. It gave no hints to the horrific dreams that so often plagued him in Hunter's absence.

He sighed, pulling Cam even closer. What he had done three months ago had put a gaping hole in their relationship that they couldn't seem to bridge. Mostly because Cam seemed unwilling too. But if he had too…he would do it again. Because it kept Cam by his side.

Even if it made Cam hate him.


	4. Our Every Drop of Blood

With Lips Painted Red, We Bind Ourselves

**Copyright Disclaimer: I do not own Power Rangers or any other recognizable media. Power Rangers belongs to BVS Entertainment. Any other recognizable media belongs to its respective owners. **

**Any words in italics are part of a language I made up for this story. It's pretty easy to guess what their saying most of the time. Any important things will be in English.**

4. Heavy Heart Darken With Our Every Drop of Blood

Tori looked up in surprise when Cam entered Storm Chargers. She frowned thoughtfully, tilting her head to the side. "Hey Blake. Does something about Cam seem a little…off today?"

Blake glanced over as well. "Besides the fact that he's actually here?" he asked.

"Blake, I'm serious." Tori admonished.

Blake sighed, taking a closer look at the man walking slowly through the store, his eyes searching for something. He looked different today. Blake wasn't sure what it was that was different but there was defiantly something different about him.

Maybe…his jacket? The black leather vest he was wearing was trimmed in- not green- but a dark red. Crimson; Hunter's color. The sight caused him to grin in amusement. But the grin vanished a second later. It wasn't the jacket.

It could be the way he was carrying himself today. Tight, as if ready to pounce, but with all the lazy grace of a predator. Or maybe the way his eyes carefully searched the room, seeming to absorb everything about everyone. The way his skin was defiantly paler than before, the way his eyes gained a gold hue in the light, or the way he seemed to still carefully consider every move he made.

But something about him had slowly changed in the week he'd been back. And whatever it was drew everyone's eyes toward him. But it made him seem…off.

"There is something odd about him." He agreed, watching as he walked into the back of the store towards where Hunter was.

Cam smiled to himself as he watched Hunter tinker with his bike. "Back to racing, Hunter?" he asked.

The crimson ranger glanced up at him and smiled. "Of course." He said then paused and added. "Nice vest."

Cam nodded, tugging on it. "Thanks. I was wondering if you'd notice." Hunter paused and gave him a look. "I always notice." Hunter told him.

Placing down his tools, the blonde stood up. "How can I help you today, Cam?" he asked.

Cam shrugged, leaning back against the wall. "I put a new program in CyberCam." He informed. Hunter glanced at him, his expression confused. "Emergency Protocol 7." Cam continued. "Remember that. I made it in case my 'condition' acts up."

Hunter sighed in annoyance. "Nothing's going to happen Cam." He assured.

Cam smiled darkly, turning his head to look out at the rest of the store. "It's been nearly a week." He whispered. He could almost feel Hunter's blank look of confusion and then dawning, and horrified, realization.

"Cam…" Hunter breathed. He stepped closer, laying a hand on Cam's shoulder. Cam shrugged him off, hating just how hyperaware he was of Hunter today. He frowned, looking over at his lover. Hunter's eyes were worried. "Cam, are you okay?"

He nodded. "Of course. Don't worry about it, _E_." He said then winced. He hadn't meant to use that damn title. It showed just how much his control had slipped. He sighed. "I'm going home." He informed. The rest of the sentence remained unsaid between them. _Before someone gets hurt._

Blake looked towards his brother and frowned. Both Hunter and Cam stood in the doorway to the back. Cam was turned slightly away from Hunter, his posture screaming defensive. His brother stood just behind him, eyes dark as he stared at Cam. He didn't like how this looked.

Quickly, he excused himself from his conversation with Tori and approached them. As he came closer Cam pushed himself off the wall and left. As they passed each other the strange off feeling he'd gotten from Cam the minute he'd entered increased sharply, enough to send his danger senses flaring.

Blake stopped next to his brother, turning to watch Cam. The green ranger paused at the door, glancing back at them. He shivered, his eyes widening. Cam's eyes had changed. He wondered what was most disturbing change; the fact that his eyes had turned gold, or the fact that the pupil was cat-slit. But whatever it was, it was enough to cause his heart to freeze in terror.

"Hunter…what was that?" he asked, glancing at him. Hunter kept his eyes locked on the door, as if trying to will Cam to come back. Finally, he shook his head. "It's nothing Blake. Forget it." He whispered.

Blake frowned but merely said. "Come on. We said we were going to go to Shane's skating competition."

Hunter nodded slightly, not seeming to really be paying attention. "Yeah sure." He agreed distantly.

Blake sighed, turning to leave. After a second's thought he paused and looked back at his brother. "Hunter?" he asked.

The blonde finally jerked his gaze away, looking at him. Blake bit his lip as he asked, "Is everything okay with Cam?"

Hunter's reply came way too fast to sooth his worries. "Of course." Hunter looked at him with wide eyes, trying and failing to look innocent. "Should there be?"

Blake watched his brother carefully. "You know, Hunter, you can tell me anything, right?" he asked. Hunter nodded. "Of course I do." He agreed, and there was a smile on his face as he did so. Blake smiled as well, nodding.

---

Later that day everyone gathered at NinjaOps. There was a party in the process. Shane laughed, standing up and bowing. "Thank you, thank you." He stated. He grinned, holding his trophy up.

Dustin laughed as he watched his friend. "Dude, I can't believe you won!" he said. Shane smirked. "You had any doubt?" he asked.

Hunter grinned at the two. "You know what I realized?" he asked. Cam looked over at him from where he was sitting at his computer. "And what's that?" he questioned, his stare intense.

Hunter merely grinned under the sharp look. "We have officially been back a full week." He answered.

The others cheered. "That is defiantly cause for celebration." Tori said, grinning.

About an hour into the party Cam looked around and noticed someone was missing. "Blake, where's your brother?" he asked. Blake looked around, frowning. "I don't know."

He sighed, shaking his head. "I'll find him." He assured.

"Cam?" Blake called, making the older man pause and turn to look at him. "Are you okay?" he asked. Cam blinked and nodded. "It's just…"Blake trailed off before continuing. "You seem a little off today."

Cam smiled. "I'm fine." He assured before turning and walking away. He padded calmly down the hallway, trusting his instincts to pull him towards Hunter. He stopped at the entrance to the kitchen, smiling softly at the figure resting against the wall. "Hey." He called.

Hunter looked up at him, smiling softly. "Hey. Sorry I disappeared. Guess I'm not used to the noise yet."

Cam nodded, breathing deeply. A dark, bittersweet scent met his nose. He blinked in surprise before grinning in amusement. "Are you drinking again?" he asked.

Hunter raised his glance in silent answer, the thick, burgundy wine splashing against the sides. Cam shook his head. "You know, if my dad catches you with that…"

Hunter snorted. "I'm personally more worried about Blake finding me. But hey, that's just me."

Cam grinned in amusement. But a second later his amusement died away as a different scent met his nose. It was thick and heady, rich and intoxicating and a bitter copper undertone. It made his head spin and his throat clench tightly in want. The scent spoke silently of strength and power.

"Ow." Hunter whispered, his voice blank. Slowly, Cam turned his head to stare at Hunter, his eyes wide and dark. Hunter raised his hand, staring at the cut that had sliced his wrist open. The blonde stared at the blood pouring from the wound dispassionately, seemingly unaware of Cam's unwavering stare. "Guess we should do something about this, huh?" he asked.

Cam gulped, watching as Hunter held out his arm. He took a deep breath before straightening and approaching Hunter. He fought down the instincts rising in him, trying to control him. It was done with practiced ease. This was, after all, the hell his life had become.

Hunter watched cam approach and tried to calm his racing heart. As the samurai came close the illusions Cam kept wrapped around himself everyday dropped, revealing his true self.

His black hair became smoother, looking like silk. His skin paled even further and turned smooth and flawless. He looked absolutely beautiful, the guise of an angel. It was nothing more than a ruse to hide the deadly truth of what he really was.

Cam's long, thin fingers wrapped carefully around his wrist, the light grip giving no hint to the dangerous strength lying beneath the beautiful visage. Cam tugged his wrist upwards as he leaned down. Just as his lips brushed against the wound, his eyes flickered upwards to meet Hunter's.

Hunter had to fight down the shiver that wanted to run up his spine at the sight of the cat-slit, bright gold eyes pinning him in place. They watched his every move as they stood suspended. "I won't forgive you." Cam whispered, the blood from the wound painting his lips red.

Hunter felt his heart clench. "I know." He whispered back as Cam pressed his lips more firmly against the wound.

---

Blake looked up when Hunter and Cam reentered the room. He grinned. "Hey." He called. The two looked over at him, Hunter grinning while Cam merely nodded. He looked them both up and down. What ever had been off about Cam was gone now. He looked better. But when he told him so, Cam turned guarded and stiff. Even Hunter's smile turned tight.

Later that night and the party settled down, they prepared to leave. Hunter stepped forward and wrapped Cam in a hug. "I love you, Cam." He whispered in Cam's ear. He drew back before Cam could do anything.

As Hunter approached the stairs he paused and looked back at him. "But you can't run forever, Cam." He said, staring him dead in the eye. Blake had no idea what he was talking but he was suddenly glad they were always the last ones to leave, which meant the three of them were the only ones in the room.

Hunter continued, his stare cutting. "Some day, you're going to have to face what happened." And with that he turned and walked up and stairs. Blake watched him go before giving Cam a quick grin and racing after his brother.

Cam watched them go before sighing and saying to himself. "You're right, Hunter. I may not be able to run forever. But for today I can. And I'm going to."


	5. Our Bloody Past Decisions

With Lips Painted Red, We Bind Ourselves

**Copyright Disclaimer: I do not own Power Rangers or any other recognizable media. Power Rangers belongs to BVS Entertainment. Any other recognizable media belongs to its respective owners. **

**Any words in italics are part of a language I made up for this story. It's pretty easy to guess what their saying most of the time. Any important things will be in English.**

5. We are Haunted by Our Bloody Past Decisions

_There was blood. Blood everywhere. On all the rocks and on the ground and mixing with the acid water that he could feel burning through his skin and wounds. He could barely think through the pain. It hurt so much._

_The whimpers of pain and screams of terror barely registered anymore. How long had he been like this: bleeding to death on a world that wasn't even his, surrounded by people he didn't know? But even through all this all he could think was…_

_Where was Hunter?_

Cam snapped awake, panting slightly and shaking. He sat up slowly, running a hand through his sweat-damp hair. That dream again…

Except it wasn't a dream. It was a horrible memory of the day his entire life had changed. Even now, three months later, he could still see the splattered blood printed behind his eyelids, could see the sickening twist of bodies every time he closed his eyes. He knew that if his life didn't depend solely upon the thick red liquid he would be deathly afraid of blood now.

He stood up slowly, fighting to push the images to the back of his mind. It seemed now days that even the battlefields of Recore were just a faint cut compared to the huge scar Acio Toko had left on him. And Recore was not a place to brush aside, considering it was the world where he'd gotten his cursed nickname: 'the _Kina Kal_.'

Cam shook the thought from his mind, and changed into everyday clothes. He walked calmly but shakily out to the main room of NinjaOps. There he stood and tried to just focus on the room in front of him and not the events of the past.

"Cam?"

He turned and watched as his dad drove his habitat cart into the room. "Yes dad?" he asked and winced when he heard his voice crack.

Sensei frowned at his son and sighed. "Is everything alright Cam?" he asked, watching him. Cam nodded, not trusting his voice yet. His father watched him for a long time before saying, "You know Cam, you can tell me anything right?"

"Of course dad." Cam whispered, smiling slightly to reassure him.

"Then why, Cam, do you chose to block me out?"

Cam winced at the question and looked away. Finally he decided that just this once, he'd be honest with someone. "Because if I tell you it'll make it real. And I'm not ready for it to be real yet." He whispered.

For three months he'd pretended nothing had happened, nothing had changed. And every time Hunter had made him stop and face the truth he'd distanced himself from what he did and went through the motions. In the beginning he had felt his hate for the blonde grow every time he did it. But in the end, when he'd grown world weary and too tired to even hate, he'd just been left with a large hole in his life that he knew he'd never close or fill.

And so he'd run even harder from the truth of his life.

Sensei watched his son sadly, horribly aware of the distance between them, of how he could do nothing to help his son anymore.

They both jerked when they heard footsteps pound down the stairs and turned to see Hunter run into NinjaOps. The blond stopped and looked at the both of them, sighing. Slowly he approached Cam and stopped in front of him. Sensei watched from the sidelines as the two regarded each other. Now he understood what the saying meant, to be on the outside looking in.

It was a painful thing for a parent to realize that not only did they no longer have a place in their child's life, but they didn't even know their child at all.

Hunter reached forward suddenly, wrapping his arms around Cam and pulling him into an embrace. Even as Cam melted into the hold, hands coming up to clutch desperately at Hunter, Sensei turned and left the room. _Take care of him Hunter. I no longer can._

Hunter sighed and started to tug Cam across the room until he was leaning against the wall and let them slid down to the floor. "Sh." He whispered, burying one hand in Cam's hair. "It's okay now."

Cam looked up at him, dark eyes tear-bright. "How is it you always know?" he asked.

Hunter smiled slightly and tugged on the EmoCon necklace around his neck. "This thing was screaming in my ear." He answered. Cam looked down at it, watching as the rings moved sluggishly around the dark green- almost black- orb. He knew that if the rings completely stopped the necklace would admit a high pitched whine that could and would drive its wearer crazy. He sighed, burying himself deeper into Hunter's embrace. "I wish _Acio Toko_ had never happened." He muttered.

Hunter bit his lip, tightening his grip further. "I'm sorry I didn't protect you." He whispered. He should have been out there with Cam when he was attacked. It was the one thing he'd never forgive himself for.

He could still see it. All the blood from the hunting group Cam was with. The bodies that were strewn haphazardly around the small space. And Cam, cut to pieces, barely breathing, and half submerged in the world's acid water. The feeling of dread he'd had, seeing him like that, and thinking for the spilt second, _oh god. He's dead._

He'd never forget it.

A shudder ran down Cam's spine as he looked up at Hunter. The blonde's eyes were dark and haunted, reflecting the horror of that day. He knew he looked the same. He sighed, leaning his head down to rest on Hunter's chest. "I never thought I'd say this." He whispered. "But in compassion to _Acio Toko_, Recore seems…a little tame."

It earned him a small weak laugh. Hunter nodded, whispering, "Yeah, I guess you're right."

Cam looked up at him and felt his eyelids start to fall shut. "Keep the nightmares away?" he asked. Smiling softly, Hunter nodded and pulled him even closer.

It was with a heavy heart and dark soul that Cam fell asleep, Hunter his one guiding light.

---

Shane and Dustin jerked when hands were slapped over their mouths the minute they entered NinjaOps. They looked up to see Blake and Tori grinning at them, looking mischievous. Tori brought her free hand up to make a 'sh' signal then pointed to the far corner of the room.

Curled up together and leaning against the wall was Hunter and Cam. Cam was resting against Hunter's chest and had his head tucked neatly under Hunter's chin. Hunter himself had his arms wrapped tightly around Cam and was leaning his head back against the wall.

Grinning, Shane shrugged Blake's hand off his mouth and slowly pulled off his bag. Carefully, he reached in and pulled out a small camera. Everyone held their breaths as Shane approached the two, bringing the camera up to take up a picture of them.

Snapping the picture, Shane turned around to grin at his fellow rangers when something unexpected happened. A hand pressed into his shoulder and another hand grabbed the camera as a shadow fell over him. He looked up quickly to see Cam in the middle of flipping over him, his eyes wide and bright and _gold_. The sight shocked him so much that Cam was easily able to rip the camera from his hands and finish his flip, landing smoothly across the room.

The Green Ranger turned back towards him, placing one hand on his hip and looking irritated. His eyes were once again their normal dark brown. "Don't any of you have better things to do?" he asked, throwing the camera up and down in one hand.

The others laughed nervously as they stared at him. Cam shook his head and looked over at the sleeping Hunter. "So, how long are you planning to lay there?" he asked.

Hunter groaned and pushed himself to his feet. "I was comfortable." He complained, crossing his arms over his chest. At Cam's disbelieving look he shifted nervously. "Well, I was!" he defended.

"I'm sure." Cam said, nodding slowly. He sighed and glanced at the camera in his hand. He pulled up the picture of the two of them and stared at it for a long moment, his head tilted to the side. Finally he clicked his tongue and threw the camera back at Shane. "I like it." He said simply.

The others breathed a sigh of relief as Hunter laughed. "For a minute there," Shane whispered. "I thought he was going to kill us!"

Cam rolled his eyes and moved to sit in his chair. "Don't be silly. I wouldn't kill you." He paused and looked over his shoulder at them with a dark smile. "Much."

---

Cam easily countered every one of Hunter's attacks in the spar between them, letting his body glide smoothly through all the moves. Everything he did looked quick and deadly. Only Hunter would realize that his head wasn't in it.

His mind was in the past, in the days he didn't want to think about. He pushed away the memory, the pain, and found it replaced by one that wasn't much better. Fields of death and bodies faded into his vision, along with dull blue-grey eyes. How smooth the young boy's skin had felt as he slid his eyes closed and the words that had earned him the title _Kina Kal_.

'_Don't worry. I won't let you die alone.'_

He didn't think when he ducked under Hunter's punch and surged upwards, past Hunter's defense. His palm slammed ruthlessly into the side of Hunter's abdomen, hard enough to lift him off the ground and send him spinning through the air.

His eyes widened as Hunter hit the ground, groaning and shifting on to his side to hold his ribs. "Shit, Hunter!" he called, running over to him.

He heard the others stop what they were doing and approach them. Placing a gentle hand on Hunter's shoulder he rolled him over and stared at him. "Hey, Hunter. You okay?" he asked.

Hunter opened one blue-grey eye to stare at him. "You always," Hunter gasped out, wincing. "Hit way too hard."

Cam helped the blonde into a sitting position. "I'm sorry. I wasn't paying attention." He whispered. Hunter nodded, one arm weakly supporting his ribs. He looked over at Cam. "Yeah, I think I got that." He replied sarcastically, causing Cam to grin weakly.

"Hey, you okay, bro?" Blake asked, stepping up to help support Hunter. Hunter nodded, trying to smile. "Yeah, I'll be fine. I think Cam cracked a rib or two."

The statement caused Cam to wince and mutter another apology. Hunter gave the man an annoyed look. "I get it already." He hissed before smiling softly. "You'll have to hit me harder than that to break me. You should know that by now."

Cam sighed, shaking his head. "You're not tough as you think you are." He whispered softly so that Hunter couldn't hear him, letting Blake pull the blonde away from him to the medic bay.

---

Cam let himself collapse onto his bed later that night, sighing heavily. He closed his eyes and tried to will himself to sleep. Slowly he felt his mind slow down until thoughts were hard to grasp and every one of them seemed far away. Then he was asleep. And with sleep came dreams. Came nightmares.

_He could barely make out the words behind the ringing in his ears. But he could hear Hunter's voice, low and dark and frantic, right next to him, and he was sure it was his lover's- and god, that was still strange to say- arms wrapped around him, supporting him._

_Hunter was shouting._

_Why was he shouting? He wondered vaguely, unable to voice the thought, barely able to piece it together in his mind. He sighed, feeling an immense tiredness wash over him. The ringing in his ears lessened as his thoughts got even harder to form. What would it be like, he wondered slowly, to just let himself fade away…?_

"_We're losing him."_

_The voice was new, soft and gentle and it felt like it should ring familiar but it didn't. Now he could really hear Hunter's voice getting louder, more desperate, but he could only make out individual words. Not enough to make sense._

_Floating away…that's what he was doing. Floating… an image passed through his mind, one of dull blue-grey eyes. Hunter's eyes. But the face around them was too young. The boy whose name he'd never learned but whose dreams he'd taken away. Maybe he'd see him again._

"_If we do this…the boy in your arms will change. He will lose something that could be vitally important to him."_

_Now that…didn't sound good. He forced his eyes open slowly, trying to see straight. Gold, slanted eyes. Pale, pale skin. Long claws and long teeth. Red painted lips. A deadly knife held by a too beautiful person. _Valimper_. Vampire._

"_No…" he whispered softly, somehow knowing what they wanted to do. For the first time in his life, Cam cursed his intelligence. It wasn't something he wanted to know. "Please stop…"_

"_Shut up!"_

_And that was Hunter. That was Hunter shouting. Why was he so mad? His voice ghosted across his ears slowly, dark and determined. "If you want to die that badly, I'll kill you myself." Hunter hissed. "But until then, you're going to live!"_

_In his delirious state he actually thought the idea to be somewhat…amusing. Like what Hunter was trying to do to him was living. But the thought slipped away before he could voice it along with his unsteady hold on consciousness. _

_His sleep ended a moment later when something cool and rich and coppery slipped past his tongue and down his throat. And then there was pain. Lots of pain. Lots and lots of it. Forget whatever he'd felt before, this hurt! It felt like he was going to die._

_He screamed. And screamed. And screamed. Till it was over. And then he looked up at the person supporting him, at Hunter, and felt only an aching emptiness. He had lost something inside of him, something great and important. Something he couldn't get back. _

_And as he fell back, crashing onto the bed again and feeling too exhausted to stay awake any longer; he wanted something so badly it almost shocked him. Would have to, if he wasn't almost asleep. He'd felt it moments before but he hadn't wanted it._

_For the first time in Cam Watanabe's life he wanted to die._

---

Hunter lied down on his bed, careful of his bruised ribs and stared blankly up at his ceiling. Cam…what was he thinking about right now? Was he asleep yet? Was he dreaming?

He sighed, shifting onto his side slowly. The words he'd said that day on _Acio Toko_ came back to him, haunted him. _"Please help him. I don't care how. Just save him!"_

What one of the _Valimper's _had said came back to him. _"If we do this…the boy in your arms will change. He will lose something that could be vitally important to him."_

He hadn't understood what that meant then. He still didn't. The only difference now was that he cared what he'd taken away. He hadn't bothered asking then; he'd only cared that Cam was alive and safe and he hadn't cared how.

He had no idea what he'd taken away from Cam. He'd never been strong enough to ask because he knew that's what had made Cam hate him so much. A part of him was too scared to ask; a part of him didn't want to know.

He sighed, turning again. Slowly he felt himself drift off. His last thought was about what Cam had said once, on a strange, desolate world long after they'd left _Acio Toko_.

"_There's no price on humanity."_


End file.
